title: Critical thinking at the bedside: providing safe passage to patients.
abstract: The critical thinking ability of health care professionals can affect patient safety directly (Buerhaus, Donelan, Ulrich, Norman, & Dittus, 2005). The National League for Nursing (NLN, 2006) expects nursing graduates to be able to demonstrate critical thinking. Nursing programs are required to measure critical thinking as an outcome criterion for accreditation. This process of program accreditation is considered an indicator that a professional program offers a quality product. Based on NLN expectations, health care disciplines should diligently seek opportunities to enhance critical thinking by promoting qualitative and quantitative research that focuses on curriculum evaluation, enhancing educators' and faculty knowledge, and improving patient care outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Baylor Medical Center at Garland, Garland, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ruth R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004506:Education, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D009729:Nursing; D015399:Nursing Research; D013850:Thinking